In Silence and Shadows
by Lady of the Myst
Summary: FKA: I will break down these walls The young Kazekage has yet to pursue any romantic interests, the council grows impatient and decides to use a failsafe they arranged long ago: contract marriage. Enter Hinata Hyuuga, can she break through the Kazekage's guarded exterior and befriend him? Or will his demons swallow her whole?
1. Prologue: A Storm is Coming

Prologue:

The sun was setting on the sandy village of Suna, bathing the streets and buildings in crimson and stretching the shadows cast by the buildings to their limits. Villagers hurried home, getting ready to shut their windows in preparation of the sandstorm on the horizon. The clock was ticking, they had only hours before the winds came.

In the center of the village Suna's council of elders were gathered in the office of the Kazekage, encircling his desk like predators closing in on their prey. Gaara peered out at them beneath a fringe of red hair, his teal eyes weary of their gazes. Despite the impending weather they were calm, a collective of wisdom and experience that was seldom shaken.

"Kazekage the time has come. We've given you four years to find a woman suitable for marriage of your own accord and we have yet to see you make an effort to do so."

Gaara barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, between the responsibility of being the head of the village and having to participate in active missions due to the limited number of able-bodied high-ranking ninja in the village where was the time to pursue romantic interests? Even more so, while he'd gone through painstaking lengths to show the village he'd overcome the rage of his youth and forgiven the citizens for their cruelty, he could not shake the feeling that everyone was leery of him. A monster on good behavior.

"Given the circumstances we have decided to act upon the arrangement we made with the main branch of the Hyuuga clan of Konoha. We will send for the heiress immediately."

The title of Kazekage was passed down through blood, in Gaara's case he'd won out over his brother by sheer strength and aptitude, while Kankuro was a skilled ninja he had no strength in negotiation or delegation. Despite Gaara's reclusive nature he found that he excelled in his duties, however monotonous they were. However at twenty years old, the council felt that Gaara should start thinking about an heir to pass down the title. The life expectancy of a shinobi was questionable at best and with Gaara and his father before him being the strong leaders they were the council was eager to keep the line going.

One of the elders looked out the window and back to the group, "We should get going, the storm is coming, we must prepare." He then turned and looked back to Gaara, "Expect their Hyuuga heiress here within the week. Treat her with compassion, and we urge you to put forth an effort to woo her."

Gaara stood up from his desk and looked at the council, "You should all leave, as you said- the storm is coming."

And wasn't that the truth.


	2. Chapter 1: A Summons

"Ugh this damn sun, I can't wait to be home and out of this heat!"

Hinata glanced over at Kiba, his shoulders slumped as he wiped the sweat off of his brow with his shirt from where it was hanging around his neck. They were about half a mile out from the village gates on their way home from their latest mission and the sun was unusually oppressive for this time of year. The heat paired with the wounds they'd recieved in combat made their homecoming drag out that much more.

Hinata had a large gash on her leg that would need attention as the salve she'd put on it to slow the bleeding had not proven to be very effective; each step she took shot white hot pain from her hip to her toes yet she shook it off with little more than a grimace. Kiba on the other hand was nursing a very deep wound on his side that was held together with some hastily done field stitches and it was likely he'd be out of commission for the next month or so. Shino managed to take little more than scrapes away from ordeal.

The mission ended up being S-ranked in nature though it had been presented to the village as a simple protect-and-escort order. The noble in their care proved to have many powerful enemies and while the mission was a success they were not lucky enough to escape unharmed. Such is the life of a shinobi.

Before too long they arrived at the village gates and swiftly made their way to the hospital. Kiba was rushed away first incase he was bleeding internally and Hinata was seen soon after, her wound was cleaned and sutured in and swift and efficient manner by a good-natured medic and then she was sent on her way with some pain medication and advised to take it easy for a few weeks.

On her way out she stopped by Kiba's room, he was hooked up to a bag of fluids in one arm and blood in the other, his tawny skin a little paler than usual. He cracked a smile as she approached the side of the bed, "Severe dehydration and sun poisoning, but no internal bleeding so that's good. They stitched me back up but you were the superstar back there using your chakra, I'm pretty sure I would have been way worse off if you hadn't saved my ass back there."

Hinata smiled, "You're welcome, I'm glad I could make things a little easier for you. Now you just need to make sure you actually rest while you recover." She scolded him lightly.

"Well as it turns out, I could use a little break, so no skin off my nose to sit tight for a bit." Kiba laughed and winced in pain, "This sucks pretty bad though, I won't lie."

Hinata was about to respond when a knock sounded at the door, both Shinobi turned to see a Hyuuga standing at the door, "I'm sorry for the interruption Miss Hinata, but I was told to come find you as soon as word got around that you'd returned. Your father needs to speak with you immediately."

Hinata's stomach pitted with anxiety, why would her father being summoning her?

Kiba placed his hand gently over hers, "Better go before he pops an eye vessel." He muttered quietly.

Back at the Hyuuga estate Hinata was quick to shower and make herself presentable for an audience with her father, she put on a simple yellow kimono with a pink obi and wound her long hair into a bun on top of her head. She made her way down to the main hall silently, hesitating for a moment at the door before pushing it open. Her father sat at the head of a long table, his eyes honing in on her and piercing her straight through with their intensity, "We must talk Hinata, come here."

Hinata made her way over to where he was seated and bowed her head, taking a seat off to his right, he had an assortment of documents and letters laid out in front of him and some bore the crest of Suna. She attempted to swallow but her mouth was parched and her tongue just slapped clumsily against the roof of her mouth. Her jaw started to slack and tremble and she feared she might be sick.

Hiashi looked at Hinata and sighed seeing her hold back her anxiety, "As I'm sure you've pieced together, Sunagakure has requested that we honor the agreement we made 15 years ago."

All Hinata could do was nod, her eyes unfocused. He had been upfront with her through her adolescence about the arrangement, warned her to stay aloof and not get romantically involved with anyone. But Hinata had come a long way since her genin days, she was strong and capable; not quite outgoing but she'd made friends and earned respect. She had gotten tired of living on the edge of the community and decided to immerse herself and make memories. Separating from the people she'd taken so much time to know was going to be the most painful of all.

"How long do I have to prepare?"

Hiashi sighed, "They requested that you depart immediately and I have arranged a carriage to bring you to Suna this evening. Pack your things and get ready to go."

Hinata looked up into her father's face, he stared back and his face was a blank slate.

This marriage arrangement was a display of gratitude to Suna after they'd aided Konoha against an attack that had limited the villages resources, with little else for a reward, the head of the Hyuuga clan offered up his hopeless daughter in the event the demon son of the kazekage could not find a bride.

Deciding not to linger and anger the clan leader Hinata stood up and made her way to her room to pack. The walk down the corridor felt surreal, even though she'd always known the chance of this day coming was there, it had been so many years since she'd even given thought to the possibility of being married off to a stranger.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she did her best to sort them out as she packed her few belongings into a couple of trunks that were carried out to the carriage waiting in the courtyard. No one saw her off, and as she stepped into the carriage she contemplating saying goodbye to her friends, but then white hot shame washed over her, this arrangement was a secret she'd kept for years, how did she even begin to explain to everyone why she would just up leave to be married to the kazekage who despite his best efforts to put his past behind him was still viewed with apprehension.

Hinata wiped away a tear as she settled herself into the carriage, she owed her friends a proper good-bye but she wasn't ready to say good-bye. This wasn't the end, she'd find a way to come back and make things right with the people she was inevitably going to hurt through this.

As the carriage took off into the night, flanked by Hyuuga's finest guards, Hinata was left alone with her thoughts and her head was such a scary place to be sometimes.


End file.
